


Quietest and most constant of friends

by hakubo



Series: Domestic Bliss [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Books, Domestic, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Reading
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-07
Updated: 2013-11-07
Packaged: 2017-12-31 18:44:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1035118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hakubo/pseuds/hakubo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek is a calm reader. He likes to settle into a position and not move until something makes him or parts of his body go numb.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Quietest and most constant of friends

**Author's Note:**

  * For [otter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/otter/gifts).



One of the first purchases they made after moving in together was the sofa. The rest of the house was full of mismatched furniture given to them by the Sheriff and Melissa McCall or the neighbors that were surprisingly friendly given Derek's history. But the sofa they bought and paid together and it wasn't even that much of a problem picking one out.

Derek refused leather because he knew that Stiles couldn't sit still for longer than two minutes and the creaking would drive him crazy in ten seconds and Stiles vetoed black which wasn't even an issue. Derek was done with black. For the most part.

The sofa they settled on was gray and not especially aesthetically pleasing but it was the most comfortable piece of furniture Derek ever sat on and that even included the old Hale family sofa which always seemed like it was the most perfect place on the planet.

It was surprising, just how easily they settled in together, knowing their history of violence, sarcasm and death threats, but the most surprising and favorite way to spend time with Stiles (besides sex and and lazy mornings in bed when not a single pack member wanted anything) is when they settle on the sofa and read. 

They have a ridiculous amount of books. There are some that have survived the fire, some that were sent to Derek by the members of other packs who borrowed them back when his family was still alive, some found and brought by Peter before he died. Again. Stiles has his own books, dictionaries, thesauruses, the bestiary now translated and bound, his college books even years after he graduated because he can never make himself get rid of a book. There are the Twilight books, a first anniversary gift from the pack that have never been opened; Dean Koontz and Stephen King novels because apparently there wasn't enough horror in their lives; one shelf was dedicated only to the classics even though Derek found them extremely depressing but Stiles liked them; kiddy books that belonged to Stiles when he was a kid and new ones for when the McCall kids were over. 

Derek likes the silence, likes to focus on the words on the page and the sound of Stiles' breathing, the soft chuckles when he reads something funny, the grunts when he tries to settle into more comfortable position, the rapid beating of his heart when there's something interesting happening. It's like reading two books at the same time. 

Derek is a calm reader. He likes to settle into a position and not move until something makes him or parts of his body go numb. Stiles is anything but calm. He reads fast, fiddles with the page a few moments before he turns it, taps out erratic rhythms against his thighs or the back of the sofa, changes position every two minutes. He props his legs on the back of the sofa, on Derek; when Derek's on his back and knees bent Stiles leans back against them. It should drive Derek crazy, but instead it settles him even more, the familiarity of it, of Stiles so he just sinks deeper into the sofa and reads.

*

Derek is already settled with a book, “A short history of nearly everything” because he likes reading about the way the world works, when Stiles gets home. He listens to the sound of Stiles' steps in the hallway, follow his progress through the house – taking his shoes off, going to the kitchen for a drink, up the stairs to their bedroom, shower, getting dressed into something comfortable, padding down the stairs to the living room barefoot – until he has to stretch his legs and move the book from where it was propped on his chest so Stiles can settle himself between his legs and on top of his chest, listening to Derek's heartbeat.

It's not unusual, Stiles' silence. He's gotten rid of that extra energy over the years. He was still restless most of the time, but he's not manic and he's learned how to stay still and be quiet. There was no more need to fill the silences with meaningless chatter just for the sake of it. Besides, Stiles himself admitted that after hours of talking and listening to a bunch of children scream in his classroom he craved peace and quiet.

So Derek gently props the book on top of Stiles' head earning an amused huff in response and goes back to reading. In ten minutes, when Stiles is done decompressing, Derek will get a kiss and they'll either make out for a while or go to the kitchen and eat, or in the more lazy version call for take out and make out while they wait. Their pack might stop by and they'll watch a movie or two and talk about their day while Stiles grades papers muttering under his breath. Or Stiles will grade papers sitting on the floor, leaning against the sofa and Derek's side while he reads. 

For now Derek settles in and reads.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first part of the Domestic Bliss series, which basically means that I will contain huge amounts of fluff and Derek getting the things he needs because Derek. So if you have anything you wish to see, let me know. I can always use ideas on how to make Derek's life a bit happier. ^_^
> 
> The title is from a quote by Charles W. Eliot  
> "Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers."


End file.
